Spike It: Frosty Coconut Margaritas

By
Jessica Merchant

My first-ever margarita was on the rocks with salt — this was how my mom always ordered them, and I didn’t even want to try a frozen one. I thought that a frozen margarita probably came from one of those frozen-concentrate tubes in the freezer. I wanted the real thing; hence my love for rocks and lots of salt.

But a few years ago I had a frosty mojito and it was to die for. It tasted legit, not like a fake store-bought mix blended with ice. I started making them at home, and then one day, when it was super-hot and we had friends over, I decided to try it with a margarita.

Here’s what makes this magical: frozen coconut-milk cubes! Instead of making ice, a day before (or whenever … I think it’s lovely to have these on hand for a spur-of-the-moment frosty cocktail), pour some coconut milk into an ice cube tray and freeze it. These cubes not only prevent the drink from being watered down by lots of ice, but add some extra creamy coconut flavor. It’s reminiscent of a really good pina colada, but with tequila and lime, and minus the pineapple.

Another option for these margaritas is to use frozen coconut meat (the inside of the coconut), which you can find in the freezer aisle of grocery stores. That adds a ton of flavor and a creamy texture that almost reminds you of ice cream, as well as some staying power. Heck, a margarita like that could practically be considered a meal!

If you want to go the frosty route with your favorite fruit, frozen fruit is the way to go. Grab strawberries, blueberries, even peaches, and blend them with the ingredients below, subbing some extra liquor or even soda water for the coconut water.

Serve these up, still salting the rim of the glass, with extra limes and with some Bing cherries on top. It really doesn’t get any better.

Combine the tequila, cream of coconut, Grand Marnier, coconut water, seltzer, simple syrup, lime juice, coconut extract and coconut ice cubes in a blender and pulse until ice is crushed and mixture is combined. It should be super-frosty.

Add more ice if needed, then taste and add a little extra tequila if desired. Pour into frosty, salt-rimmed glasses and top with lime wedges and a cherry.

Note: To make the coconut-milk ice cubes, pour 2 cans of light coconut milk into an ice cube mold. Freeze overnight before using. These aren’t absolutely necessary, and you can use regular ice cubes if needed.